Larry Shenk, Vice President of Alumni Relations, shares his notes, quotes and anecdotes from the world of baseball.

Big Crowd Greets Phils

Warmest day of the winter greeted the Phillies as all 58 players worked out for the first time on Day 6. They were also greeted by the biggest fan turnout I’ve seen for the first full day.

When infielders took infield at 11 a.m., it was standing room only in the bleacher areas between the Schmidt and Ashburn fields. The “A” infield was on the Schmidt field. Batting practice against the coaching staff began 30 minutes later on four different fields. The fans spread out then as the big names were spread over the four fields.

The position players were assigned to two different groups for fundamentals and two other groups infield drills and then four different groups for hitting. Players needed to pay attention to where they were supposed to be.

Before the workout, each player was measured for a new uniform by Majestic. Phillies TV has a crew in camp to tape stand-up videos and interviews each of three mornings. J-Roll had his group media session after the workout.

Day 7 is tomorrow, much the same schedule. In a couple of days, BP is enhanced as pitchers will be throwing to hitters, instead of coaches. That usually means there will be a few broken bats.

Photo Day for media and MLB licensees starts at 7 tomorrow morning. Photographers will set up stations in the indoor batting cages at Bright House Field. Each player needs to make the round.

Ruben will have his weekly conference call with pro scouts when the players take the field tomorrow morning.

Alumni MemoriesA daily feature will be spring training memories by Phillies Alumni, who were asked three questions: (1) Memories of their very first spring training; (2) What they liked the most about spring training, and (3) What did they like the least.

Terry Harmon (INF, 1967; 1969-77)“1967 in Clearwater. Wore #54. Stayed at the Fort Harrison Hotel with all the players and staff. One of the neatest things was going to Clearwater and the drive from the airport, all the beautiful palm trees and the water and then going to work and trying to save a position ever year. All the preparation for spring training every year always led to aches and pains the first day. No matter how hard you worked at home, it was the same every spring. I loved spring training. It was a time to bring your family to Clearwater for six weeks or more, spend time on the beach and spend time with other families. I loved every minute of it. Every year I was on the ledge because I was a utility player and someone was always trying to get my job. I was lucky enough to hang on for a few years and have a great mediocre career.”

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